Learn more about using children's picture books to address vocabulary skills:

http://www.northernspeech.com/building-vocabulary/building-vocabulary-through-childrens-picture-books/

Children's Books and Vocabulary Targets

The following books are some that I have used in speech/language therapy sessions. The chart below each title lists words from the book or related to it. The grade levels indicated were determined using the "Essential words by grade level" list by Marzano et al. in the Paynter et al. text listed on the "Vocabulary Resources" page. In some cases, the grade level for the word is based on the root word. For example, "conference" is not listed, but the word "confer" is listed as a 6th grade level word.

Amos and Boris by William Steig

Scholastic Grade Level Equivalent: 3.7
Flesch-Kincaid Index: 5.8

1st Grade	2nd Grade	3rd Grade	4th Grade	5th Grade	6th Grade
			flung passenger necessities	ambitions privilege overwhelmed	leisurely conference immense

Arnie the Doughnut by Laurie Keller

Scholastic Grade Level Equivalent: 4.5
Flesch-Kincaid Index: 4.7

1st Grade	2nd Grade	3rd Grade	4th Grade	5th Grade
proud	mutter		suppose grateful prefer	reflect stunned frantically collapse

Flash Cards

ArnieFlash.pdf

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Scrambled Words Puzzle
Word Search

A Bad Case of the Stripes by David Shannon

Scholastic Grade Level Equivalent: 3.5
Flesch-Kincaid Index: 4.7

1st Grade	2nd Grade	3rd Grade	4th Grade	5th Grade	6th Grade
		announce disappear (appear) examine heaping relieve specialist	huddle contagious disaster extraordinary (ordinary) fret mumble plump recognize sprout	impress vanish weird	distract

Scholastic Resources: http://bookwizard.scholastic.com/tbw/viewWorkDetail.do?workId=2261&

Bear Feels Sick by Karma Wilson

Scholastic Grade Level Equivalent: 1.8
Flesch-Kincaid Index:

Not Listed	2nd Grade	3rd Grade	4th Grade	5th Grade	6th Grade	Emotions	Character Traits
	cover	achy moan sip shiver celebrate	huddled fetch soothes	wheezes coax		weak	miserable lively

Author Website http://www.karmawilson.com/books/bear/sick.htm

Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson

Scholastic Grade Level Equivalent: 2.1
Flesch-Kincaid Index: 2.6

Not Listed	2nd Grade	3rd Grade	4th Grade	5th Grade	6th Grade	Emotions	Character Traits

Author Website
http://www.karmawilson.com/books/bear/snores.htm

Bear Stays Up for Christmas by Karma Wilson

Scholastic Grade Level Equivalent: 2.2
Flesch-Kincaid Index: 2.9

1st Grade	2nd Grade	3rd Grade	4th Grade	5th Grade	6th Grade
	soundly (sound)	frown mutters	doze fade	bustles hoist plods stomp stoop tidy toils trudge

Author Website http://www.karmawilson.com/books/bear/staysup.htm

Chester's Way by Kevin Henkes

Scholastic Grade Level Equivalent: 3.1
Flesch-Kincaid Index: 5.2

1st Grade	2nd Grade	3rd Grade	4th Grade	5th Grade	6th Grade
	pleasant (please) rarely	reminded	disguise remarks	diagonally miniature personal	duplicate

Scholastic Resources http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/book.jsp?id=322
Kevin Henkes' website http://kevinhenkes.com/

Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes

Scholastic Grade Level Equivalent:
Flesch-Kincaid Index: 6.0
Scholastic Resources http://bookwizard.scholastic.com/tbw/viewWorkDetail.do?workId=171&

Not Listed	1st Grade	2nd Grade	3rd Grade	4th Grade	5th Grade	6th Grade
fascinating	longingly (long)	pleasant (please)	dreadful	appreciate	envious informed scarcely	trifle wilted

Kevin Henkes' website http://kevinhenkes.com/

Cinderella Penguin or the Little Glass Flipper by Janet Perlman

Scholastic Grade Level Equivalent: 4.6
Flesch-Kincaid Index: 5.2

1st Grade	2nd Grade	3rd Grade	4th Grade	5th Grade	6th Grade
		squarely attention	admiring magnificent glanced	tatters vain	transformed posing marvelled

National Film Board of Canada Video of Cinderella Penguin This unnarrated video can be used as students retell the story they have read with you. http://www.nfb.ca/film/the_tender_tale_of_cinderella_penguin

CLICK, CLACK, MOO Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin

Scholastic Grade Level Equivalent: 1.3
Flesch-Kincaid Index: 2.9

Not Listed	2nd Grade	3rd Grade	4th Grade	5th Grade	6th Grade
boring ultimatum	decide gather	impossible problem strike	emergency exchange snoop	demand furious neutral sincerely

Scholastic Resources: http://bookwizard.scholastic.com/tbw/viewWorkDetail.do?workId=1185219&

Dear Mrs. LaRue: Letters from Obedience School by Mark Teague

Scholastic Grade Level Equivalent: 6.0
Flesch-Kincaid Index: 6.0

Not Listed	2nd Grade	3rd Grade	4th Grade	5th Grade	6th Grade
queasy		disturb	melodramatic (drama) moderate prevented	constantly	barren endured neglected retrieve

Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French

Scholastic Grade Level Equivalent: 1.2
Flesch-Kincaid Index: 5.3

Not Listed	2nd Grade	3rd Grade	4th Grade	5th Grade	6th Grade
	decide	discover offer	receive	available demand occasionally resistant	evident invade

Scholastic Resources http://bookwizard.scholastic.com/tbw/viewWorkDetail.do?workId=1182433&

Flash cards

DiaryWombatFlash.pdf

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Word Search

DiaryWombatSearch.pdf

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• 109 KB

Scrambled Words

DiaryWombatScramble.pdf

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• 93 KB

How Santa Got His Job by Stephen Krensky

Scholastic Grade Level Equivalent: 2.6
Flesch-Kincaid Index: 5.7

Not Listed	1st Grade	2nd Grade	3rd Grade	4th Grade	5th Grade	6th Grade
ringmaster surefooted	fire	pleasure (please)	argue autograph complain hire	amaze discouraged embarassed frustrating organize postmaster solve steep	jealous	suspense fright

Jennifer and Josephine by Bill Peet

Scholastic Grade Level Equivalent: 5.3
Flesch-Kincaid Index: 5.8

1st Grade	2nd Grade	3rd Grade	4th Grade	5th Grade	6th Grade
	alarmed	rude deserted	startled desperate skid	rickety catastrophe furious (fury) flimsy frantic plunge	frenzy

Bill Peet's website http://www.billpeet.net/pages/jennifer.htm

Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes

Scholastic Grade Level Equivalent: 3.5
Flesch-Kincaid Index: 5.0

Not Listed	2nd Grade	3rd Grade	4th Grade	5th Grade	6th Grade
volunteer	semi-circle (circle)	amuse disturb	cooperate express privacy stroll	demonstrate fabulous furious (fury)

Kevin Henkes' website http://kevinhenkes.com/

Listen Buddy by Helen Lester

Scholastic Grade Level Equivalent: 2.8
Flesch-Kincaid Index: 3.7

Not Listed	2nd Grade	3rd Grade	4th Grade	5th Grade	6th Grade	Emotions	Character Traits
	gather sprinkle	bundle sniff warned	permission stalk	snarl	ponder scruffy	frustrated	inattentive obedient

Mary McLean and the St Patrick's Day Parade by Steven Kroll

Scholastic Grade Level Equivalent:
Flesch-Kincaid Index:

1st Grade	2nd Grade	3rd Grade	4th Grade	5th Grade	6th Grade
		puzzled repair	capture consider crouch drape exhausted glance huddle imagine laborer steep tramp	collapse fringe linger marvelous mischeivous scoff

Me First by Helen Lester

Scholastic Grade Level Equivalent: 3.6
Flesch-Kincaid Index: 3.6

1st Grade	2nd Grade	3rd Grade	4th Grade	5th Grade	6th Grade
pushy	decide march finish wise	bend crowed delicious distance notice serious wise	plump imagination whimpered	pricked cackled privilege concerning

Meanwhile... by Jules Feiffer

Scholastic Grade Level Equivalent: 3.5
Flesch-Kincaid Index: 4.7

Not Listed	1st Grade	2nd Grade	3rd Grade	4th Grade	5th Grade	6th Grade
infested maneuvered	ducking		dash	scene situation	clenched scrawl	ferocious request

The Memory Coat by Elvira Woodruff

Scholastic Grade Level Equivalent: 3.7
Flesch-Kincaid Index: 4.7

Not Listed	2nd Grade	3rd Grade	4th Grade	5th Grade	6th Grade
enchanted chaos din plead		voyage	ashamed commotion epidemic grieve immigrant impression interpreter tattered

Pamela Camel by Bill Peet

Scholastic Grade Level Equivalent: 3.5
Flesch-Kincaid Index: 6.2

Not Listed	2nd Grade	3rd Grade	4th Grade	5th Grade	6th Grade
aloof terrified			awkward glare snickering teeter	frantic gratitude insult procession swarming triumph

The Penguin and the Pea by Janet Perlman

Scholastic Grade Level Equivalent: 5.6
Flesch-Kincaid Index:

Not Listed	2nd Grade	3rd Grade	4th Grade	5th Grade	6th Grade
grubby imposter		complain discomfort (comfort) shelter weary	accepted suspicious	delicate genuine gushed	intrigued

The Rain Came Down by David Shannon

Scholastic Grade Level Equivalent: 1.8
Flesch-Kincaid Index: 3.9

Not Listed	2nd Grade	3rd Grade	4th Grade	5th Grade	6th Grade
bickering windshield	deliver grocer	argue shimmer taxi traffic	squirmed	barber grumbled gutter ruckus shimmered yowled

Scholastic Resources http://bookwizard.scholastic.com/tbw/viewWorkDetail.do?workId=2790&

Score One for the Sloths by Helen Lester

2.8 Grade Reading Level

1st Grade	2nd Grade	3rd Grade	4th Grade	5th Grade	6th Grade
		content recite slumber	exhausted mumble munch nudged	amble custodian drawl dusk fidget impressive	occasionally pacing

Helen Lester's website http://www.helenlester.com/

Sherman Crunchley by Laura Numeroff and Nate Evans

Scholastic Grade Level Equivalent: 3.3
Flesch-Kincaid Index: 5.0

1st Grade	2nd Grade	3rd Grade	4th Grade	5th Grade	6th Grade
		complain reminding several replied relief gasped fainted	admired foreign mumbled creating	confession	decorating miserable retired distract

Sitting Ducks by Michael Bedard

Scholastic Grade Level Equivalent:
Flesch-Kincaid Index: 6.8

Not Listed	2nd Grade	3rd Grade	4th Grade	5th Grade	6th Grade
bewildered colossal diner	wandered	delighted	awkward rescue steady	decoy emerge vigorously	pondered

Stickeen by John Muir, as retold by Donnell Rubay

Scholastic Grade Level Equivalent: 3.5
Flesch-Kincaid Index: 5.1

Not Listed	2nd Grade	3rd Grade	4th Grade	5th Grade	6th Grade
aloof crevasse			astride (stride) forbidding	drenched independent plunge	caress despair persuaded

Terrific by Jon Agee

Scholastic Grade Level Equivalent: 2.1
Flesch-Kincaid Index: 3.5

1st Grade	2nd Grade	3rd Grade	4th Grade	5th Grade	6th Grade
		drift	diagram secure nasty rescue damage expect hauled immediately	devoured permanently connect	stranded

The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig by Eugene Trivizas

Scholastic Grade Level Equivalent: 5.1
Flesch-Kincaid Index: 5.5

Not Listed	2nd Grade	3rd Grade	4th Grade	5th Grade	6th Grade
			crumbled prowling scent swayed trembling	determined scorched	fragile reinforced (enforce) slurry (slur)

There wasn an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Frog by Lucille Colandro

Scholastic Grade Level Equivalent: 2
Flesch-Kincaid Index:
Lexile Level: AD340L
Vocabulary Targets

1st Grade	2nd Grade	3rd Grade	4th Grade	5th Grade	Emotions	Character Traits
gain	hide	mistake	pardon moisture (moist)*	conceal*	embarrassed	confused/preplexed (in a fog) foolish apologetic

Additional Communication Targets:
Identify and generate rhyming words (e.g., frog/fog)
Express regular past tense "-ed" verb morphemes (e.g., swallowed)
Identify and express object case feminine pronoun "she"
Identify and express infinitive phrases (e.g., to hide the frog)
Identify and express relative clauses beginning with "who" and "why" (e.g., who swallowed a _, why she swallowed )
Articulation targets:

Phoneme	occurrences
/f/ initial /fr/ initial	6 12
/l/ initial /l/ medial /l/ final /ld/ final	10 34 5 10
/sw/ initial	34
Initial voiced "th"	48

Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco

Scholastic Grade Level Equivalent: 3.5
Flesch-Kincaid Index: 4.8

Not Listed	2nd Grade	3rd Grade	4th Grade	5th Grade	6th Grade	Emotions	Character Traits
	brave		instant horizon strode	overcome surveyed creased slit rumbled	sultry	fearful confident	calm

Scholastic Resources: http://bookwizard.scholastic.com/tbw/viewWorkDetail.do?workId=952&

Toad by Ruth Brown

Scholastic Grade Level Equivalent: 3.1
Flesch-Kincaid Index:

Not Listed	1st Grade	2nd Grade	3rd Grade	4th Grade	5th Grade	6th Grade
	careless (care)		bitter clammy monstrous	clumsy foul oozing sluggish stumble trundle waddle	filthy selfconfident (confident) trudge	gooey mucky odorous septic venomous

Where's the Big Bad Wolf? by Eileen Christelow

Scholastic Grade Level Equivalent: 2.7
Flesch-Kincaid Index: 3.8

Not Listed	2nd Grade	3rd Grade	4th Grade	5th Grade	6th Grade
delectable		framed mutter tender	recue	flimsy mischief rascal	elderly scoundrel

Wolf! by Becky Bloom

Scholastic Grade Level Equivalent: 3.5
Flesch-Kincaid Index: 4.7

1st Grade	2nd Grade	3rd Grade	4th Grade	5th Grade	6th Grade
		ached satisfied bothering	peered budge concentrate educated tucked admire	ignore impressed splendid

The Wump World by Bill Peet

Scholastic Grade Level Equivalent: 3.2
Flesch-Kincaid Index: 5.6

1st Grade	2nd Grade	3rd Grade	4th Grade	5th Grade	6th Grade
	winding		broad loom pollute timid	gape stagger	population turmoil wary

Books and Vocabulary for Christmas

Read alouds for Christmas.doc